{"id":70161,"date":"2026-10-16T10:56:05","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T08:56:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fifa.sportsagentinstitute.com\/?p=70161"},"modified":"2026-10-16T10:56:05","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T08:56:05","slug":"moussa-sissoko-agent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fifa.sportsagentinstitute.com\/en\/blog\/moussa-sissoko-agent","title":{"rendered":"Moussa Sissoko agent: who is Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9's adviser?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, D\u00e9sir\u00e9 Dou\u00e9, Rayan Cherki, Dayot Upamecano. All of them have entrusted their interests to Moussa Sissoko<\/strong>, a player agent<\/strong> who holds the FIFA agent licence<\/strong>. Yet in the French press, Moussa Sissoko, agent<\/strong> to all of these players, is almost always presented as an \"adviser\" and rarely as an agent.<\/p>\n

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The choice of this term stems from his situation in France, where he cannot officially work as an agent despite holding a FIFA licence. He is now challenging this situation before the European Court of Human Rights.<\/p>\n

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His career highlights a distinction that many candidates for the FIFA exam<\/a> only discover late on: the one separating the FIFA agent licence<\/strong> from the sports agent licence<\/strong> issued by the French Football Federation (FFF).<\/p>\n

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Let us now take a closer look at who Moussa Sissoko<\/strong> is, which players he represents and why his FIFA agent licence<\/strong> does not allow him to work officially in France, before drawing the lessons of his career for aspiring agents.<\/p>\n

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\"Moussa<\/figure>\n

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Who is Moussa Sissoko, the player agent?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Moussa Sissoko is a French player agent<\/strong>, aged 42, from the Saint-Jean neighbourhood of Beauvais, in the Oise department. A French national of Malian descent, he has lived abroad for nearly fifteen years, according to his own statements to Foot Mercato.<\/p>\n

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Before turning to player representation<\/strong>, he worked as a youth coach at several amateur clubs in the Beauvais area, including Saint-Jean-de-Beauvais. It was on these pitches that he built the relationships with players and their families that later formed the foundation of his business, a path shared by other youth coaches and managers who have become agents<\/a> and by former players who have retrained as FIFA agents<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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His rise is inseparable from that of Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9, whom he has supported since the very start of his professional career. In its 543rd Weekly Post<\/a>, the CIES Football Observatory ranks MS Foot<\/strong>, Moussa Sissoko's agency<\/strong>, among the ten most powerful player agencies<\/a> in the world, based on the cumulative transfer value of the players represented.<\/p>\n

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Not to be confused with the footballer Moussa Sissoko<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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The similarity between the two names regularly causes confusion, particularly as the footballer Moussa Sissoko<\/strong> is also well known to the French public. A French international midfielder born on 16 August 1989 in Le Blanc-Mesnil, he came through the academy at Toulouse FC and went on to play for clubs including Newcastle United F.C., Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and Watford F.C., before joining Panathinaikos F.C. in 2026. A UEFA Euro 2016 finalist with France, he has 71 caps and has no connection whatsoever with the agent.<\/p>\n

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Is Moussa Sissoko a football agent?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Yes, Moussa Sissoko does hold a FIFA agent licence<\/strong>, but he does not hold the sports agent licence issued by the FFF<\/strong>. He can therefore represent players internationally, but cannot officially work as a football agent in France<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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He also says that he pays for his FIFA licence<\/strong> every year, which, according to his comments to Foot Mercato in March 2026, allows him \"to work anywhere in the world except\u2026 in France\". This annual renewal is capped at USD 300.<\/p>\n

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He is also registered as an agent with the English Football Association. The absence of an FFF licence<\/strong> explains why the French media most often present him as an \"adviser\".<\/p>\n

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The players represented by Moussa Sissoko<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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The Moussa Sissoko agent<\/strong> portfolio stands out for its concentration of top-level attacking players<\/strong>, most of them French.<\/p>\n

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Is Moussa Sissoko Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9's agent?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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\"Ousmane<\/figure>\n

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Yes, Moussa Sissoko is Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9's long-standing agent and adviser.<\/strong> He has supported him since the very beginning, from Stade Rennais F.C. to Borussia Dortmund, and then through his transfer to FC Barcelona in 2017 for \u20ac105 million (\u00a391 million), excluding bonuses.<\/p>\n

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In January 2022, with talks over extending his contract at Bar\u00e7a at a standstill, Moussa Sissoko publicly denounced on RMC the pressure being exerted by the club. Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 eventually signed an extension before joining Paris Saint-Germain F.C. in the summer of 2023.<\/p>\n

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In Paris, the winger won the 2025 Ballon d'Or, the crowning achievement of a collaboration of almost ten years with the same adviser.<\/p>\n

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Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Moussa Sissoko's new client<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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\"Khvicha<\/figure>\n

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On 13 August 2026, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia agreed to be represented by Moussa Sissoko<\/strong>, according to Ben Jacobs and then Fabrizio Romano. The Georgian international ended his collaboration with Mamuka Jugeli, his long-time representative.<\/p>\n

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The signing comes at the peak of his career, as Kvaratskhelia has just been named the best player of the 2025\u201326 UEFA Champions League by UEFA, following PSG's second consecutive European title. He is also among the 30 players nominated for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, whose ceremony is scheduled for 26 October in London.<\/p>\n

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At the time of this signing, Moussa Sissoko therefore represented four PSG forwards, along with Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9, D\u00e9sir\u00e9 Dou\u00e9 and Bradley Barcola, the latter having since joined Liverpool F.C.<\/p>\n

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D\u00e9sir\u00e9 Dou\u00e9<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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\"D\u00e9sir\u00e9<\/figure>\n

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D\u00e9sir\u00e9 Dou\u00e9<\/strong> represents the new generation of players supported by Moussa Sissoko<\/strong>. A product of the Stade Rennais academy, the winger joined PSG in the summer of 2024 for around \u20ac50 million (\u00a343.5 million), according to the press, and quickly established himself among the most highly rated players in European football.<\/p>\n

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On 5 October 2026, against Belgium in the UEFA Nations League, he came on in the 72nd minute with Les Bleus trailing. Five minutes later, he equalised with a shot across goal, scoring his fourth goal in 19 caps. He then provided two assists and played his part in France's 4\u20131 victory at the Stade de France.<\/p>\n

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Rayan Cherki<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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\"Rayan<\/figure>\n

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Rayan Cherki entrusted his interests to Moussa Sissoko in 2024<\/strong>, while still playing for Olympique Lyonnais. A year later, the playmaker joined Manchester City F.C. for around \u20ac36 million (\u00a331 million), excluding bonuses, according to the press.<\/p>\n

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He also stood out in France v Belgium. Coming on in the 60th minute, he put Les Bleus ahead in the 81st minute from a pass by Michael Olise, four minutes after D\u00e9sir\u00e9 Dou\u00e9's equaliser.<\/p>\n

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Dayot Upamecano<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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\"Dayot<\/figure>\n

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The FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen defender, who arrived from RB Leipzig in 2021, entrusted Moussa Sissoko with managing his future as he approached the end of his contract. The talks were long and tense, with Uli Hoeness publicly criticising the agent in Kicker in January 2026. Moussa Sissoko nevertheless saw the negotiations through to their conclusion.<\/strong> Upamecano extended his contract with Bayern until 2030, with, according to AFP, a substantial signing-on fee and a release clause active from 2027.<\/p>\n

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Moussa Sissoko's main clients in October 2026<\/h4>\n

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\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Player<\/strong><\/th>\nPosition<\/strong><\/th>\nClub<\/strong><\/th>\nKey fact<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9<\/td>\nWinger<\/td>\nParis Saint-Germain<\/td>\n2025 Ballon d'Or<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia<\/td>\nWinger<\/td>\nParis Saint-Germain<\/td>\nRepresented since August 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
D\u00e9sir\u00e9 Dou\u00e9<\/td>\nWinger<\/td>\nParis Saint-Germain<\/td>\nJoined from Rennes in 2024<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rayan Cherki<\/td>\nPlaymaker<\/td>\nManchester City<\/td>\nJoined from Lyon in 2025<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dayot Upamecano<\/td>\nCentre-back<\/td>\nBayern Munich<\/td>\nContract extended until 2030<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bradley Barcola<\/td>\nWinger<\/td>\nLiverpool<\/td>\nTransferred from PSG in August 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Randal Kolo Muani<\/td>\nStriker<\/td>\nJuventus FC<\/td>\nTransferred from Eintracht Frankfurt to PSG in 2023<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Eli Junior Kroupi<\/td>\nStriker<\/td>\nAFC Bournemouth<\/td>\nRepresented by Moussa Sissoko since 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

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Why Moussa Sissoko cannot work as an agent in France<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Moussa Sissoko cannot officially work in France because he does not hold the FFF sports agent licence<\/strong>, the only licence that authorises domestic transactions. According to him, his French nationality and his residence abroad prevent him from getting around this obstacle through the routes open to foreign agents.<\/p>\n

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FIFA licence and FFF licence: two separate authorisations<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Since the 2023 reform, the FIFA Football Agent Regulations<\/a> (FFAR<\/a>) have governed transactions with an international dimension<\/strong>. Purely domestic transactions remain subject to each country's own rules. In France, the Code du sport<\/strong> (French Sports Code) reserves sports agent activity<\/strong> for holders of a licence issued by the delegated federation, which for football is the FFF.<\/p>\n

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FIFA agent licence and FFF sports agent licence<\/h4>\n

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\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Criterion<\/strong><\/th>\nFIFA agent licence<\/strong><\/th>\nFFF sports agent licence<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Issuing authority<\/td>\nFIFA<\/td>\nFrench Football Federation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Key regulatory text<\/td>\nFFAR<\/td>\nFrench Sports Code and FFF regulations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Transactions covered<\/td>\nInternational transfers<\/td>\nTransactions on French territory<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
How to obtain it<\/td>\nOnline exam of 20 questions in 60 minutes<\/a>, 75% pass mark<\/td>\nExam organised by the FFF<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Maintaining it<\/td>\nAnnual fee and continuing professional development<\/td>\nIn accordance with the federation's regulations in force<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

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An agent wishing to work on a transfer between two French clubs must therefore, in principle, hold the FFF sports agent licence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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A dead end linked to nationality and residence<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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The law provides pathways for foreign agents<\/strong> who are not licensed in France. An agent who is a national of a country outside the European Union can, for example, conclude a presentation agreement<\/strong> (convention de pr\u00e9sentation<\/em>) with an FFF-licensed agent and work alongside them.<\/p>\n

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Moussa Sissoko explains that this route is closed to him. Unlike a foreign agent, he cannot conclude such an agreement with an FFF-licensed agent because of his French passport. In July 2023, the Administrative Court of Paris upheld the FFF's refusal to register agreements of this kind that he had signed in 2021.<\/p>\n

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According to Moussa Sissoko, his registration for the FFF agent exam<\/strong> was also refused on the grounds that he did not meet the residence requirement in France, a situation that he himself finds particularly difficult to understand.<\/p>\n

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A dispute brought before the European Court of Human Rights<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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At the end of March 2026, L'\u00c9quipe revealed that Moussa Sissoko had lodged an application with the European Court of Human Rights<\/strong>. His lawyer, Matthieu Barandas, denounces an anachronistic system and a form of reverse discrimination against a French national.<\/p>\n

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The FFF, for its part, applies the framework laid down by the French Sports Code, and its interpretation has been upheld by the administrative courts. The dispute has not yet been resolved.<\/p>\n

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What this means for a French candidate for the FIFA exam<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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His situation remains exceptional, but it reminds every FIFA agent exam candidate<\/strong> to check what the FIFA licence covers, and what it does not.<\/p>\n

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A few key points are worth bearing in mind for an aspiring agent based in France.<\/p>\n

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